Conveyer garment press



March 20, 1928. 1 ,662,976

J. c. LEDBETTER CONVEYER GARMENT PRESS Original Filed May 4, 1925 WU [I UM HI, U

INVENTOR I BY iatented Mar. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES CAMROD LEDBETTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE PROSPERITY COMPANY, INC., OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

OONV'EYER GARMENT PRESS.

Application filed May 4, 1925, Serial No. 27,706. Renewed September 23, 1927.

' This invention relates to a new and use.-

- Furthermore, a feature of the invention rests in work carrying or conveying means whereby the garment or other work to be pressed and treated is hauled away from the operator up into the press jaws and moved down again at the end of the pressing operation.

Another important feature and object of the invention is to provide means for elevating and lowering the work carriers or conveyers, ,such as trays, along a substantially vertical line of travel, and to provide means whereby the trays swing outwardly and come to rest in a substantially flat, lateral, or nearly horizontal position adjacent the operator and far removed from the hot pressing jaws in order that the garment or work thereon be quickly removed from the tray and new work placed thereon.

The-accompanying drawing illustrates one example of the invention and it is understood that changes in construction and mode of operation may be accomplished. For example. the pressing members orvjaws may be opened and closed by motor means or by foot power but in the present instance I have illustrated pedal or manual operating means.

Figure 1 illustrates a side view of the press with one conveyer tray under pressure between the pressing members or jaws while the other tray is resting in its lowermost position on a guide track convenient and accessible to the operator who can with ease and convenience, while the tray is down in this position, remove the pressed goods and replace new work thereon to be carried upwardly into the machine for the next pressing operation. This view also shows the movable press jaw, and press operat ng means, in dotted line position representing the press as open.

Figure 2 illustrates a front right slde enlarged fragmentary view of the press lllustrating a chain or cable runmng member which is employed to carry the work trays to and from the pressing jaws.

Figure 3 illustrates a sectional detail of a pivotal connection established between the trays and the cable or chain runningmember by which the tray is enabled to swing out of alignment and come to rest in an outward position.

Referring further to the drawings for a detailed description of the invention, there is shown a pedestal 5 supporting an upwardly extending vertical frame 6 which .pressing member opens and closes under pressure against the buck 8 to treat the work placed therebetween bythe conveyer means to be described. The pressing members 8 and 12 may be heated by any approved means, as by steam, electricity or otherwise.

It is observed how the press lever 9-11 swings vertically on the horizontal pivot 10 and instead of said press leverv reaching out wardly in a horizontal position, as is the present day standard practice on all garment pressing machines, the "said lever standsvertically and oscillates through a short space which at all times is within the bounds of the pedestal 5. Any'suitable operating means is incorporated'in the machine for oscillating the press lever 9 and closing the jaw or pressing member 12 against the stationary jaw or buck 8. However, in the present instance, I have illustrated foot operating means in the way of a pedal 15 one end of which is pivoted at 16 to the press lever 9 while the other end of this pedal is provided with a foot plate upon which the operator placeshisfoot for closing the press jaws. A toggle link 17 has one end pivotally connected to the frame pedestal as at 18 while the'other end of this link is pivoted on the pedal as at 19. When the pedal 15 is depressed, as shown in'the full line drawing, the link 17 and rear portion of the pedal forms a locking toggle which acts to lock the press jaws in closed position preventing the opening thereof. The pivot pin 19 is driven down past a center line connecting theaxis of the pins 16 and 18 and soit follows that the toggle member 1 5-17 locks the press lever 9-11 in closed pressing position. u

A kick-ofl' pedal 22 is pivoted on the frame at 23. By depressing the kick-off pedal 22, the pedal 15 is thrust upwardly which breaks the toggle 15-17 thereby-causing the pedal 15 and link 17 to swing upwardly to dotted line position thereby opening the press. A spring'24 or other suitable means may be employed to swing the press lever 9 causing the press jaws 8 and 12 to open. The tension of the spring 24 is readily overcome by the operator'when he depresses the pedal 15.

Means are provided for conveying the workup to and down from the pressing members 8 and 12 for it is appreciated that the pressing members are located high above the operators head and out ofhis normal reach. One distinct advantage in so locating the pressing members resides in the fact that the considerable heat radiating therefrom flows upwardly to the ceiling of the building or factory in which the press is installed and since ventilating principles require that heated air be collected from the upper portions of the factory room and driven therefrom, it follows that a pressing machine of this type leaves the air comparatively cool surrounding the operator down on the factory floor.

A running member, such as a belt, a chain, or acable 27 is mounted at each end of the pressing jaws 8 and 12. One cable 27 is shown, but it is understood that a similar cable is mounted on the other side of the press in parallel relation. The cable or chain 27 is passed around rollers 28 which are mounted on the frame above and below the press jaws which forms front and rear cable sections 27 and 270 traveling in opposite directions. In order that the parallel cable sections 270 and 27 be caused to move in close proximity one to the other, another pulley 29 is journaled on the frame adjacent the rollers 28. The two rollers 29 act to return cable section 270 in close parallel relation to the front cable section 27 but at the same time sufiicient clearance exists between the two cable sections to permit freedom of movement of all parts. A spring 30 is inserted in each cable section, the purpose of which is to permit the cable to be stretched and distorted slightly out of its normal alignment when the pressing machine closes, as will be described.

A work or garment receiving tray 34 is attached to the cable section 27 and a similar tray 35 is attached to the inner or rear cable section 270. Each tray frame 34 and 35 is provided with a .canvas center 36 upon which the garment or work is attached. These trays pass each other traveling in opposite direction and sufficient clearance exists between the two parallel cable sections 27 and 270 to permit the trays 34 and 35 to pass each other Without interference. Each tray is pivotally connected to its respective cable section in order that the tray hang vertically as it travels up into the press, and in order that the tray swing outwardly and stand at an angle with respect to the cable 'to the swivel joint 38-39 permits the tray to swing relatively to the cable on the rotatable connection 38, and as the cable or chain section travels upwardly pulling the tray therewith, the tray hangs freely and is guided into position by the slightly open jaws of the press.

A guide track or bracket 42 is anchored to the upright frame 6 and actsas a tray supporting'rest or guide to hold the tray in loading or unloading position when the same is withdrawn from the press. The guide'track42 maybe disposed at any convenient angle but is preferably so designed that the tray 35 and work held thereby lies stationary before the operator in a slightly,

angular position in order that completely pressed work be removed and new work be placed thereon. Each tray is fitted with a,

guide pin 43 fixed to the lower part of the tray and the guide pin 43 slides along the surface of the guide track 42 and comes to rest against a stop 44 forming part of the track or bracket 42.

A pressing machine, of this character 1s especially adapted for use in knitting mills where knit garments are pressed. Knit, garments of superior quality, such as knitted silk underwear and the like as well as su-' Hit) tray, have large-size horizontally mounted pressing jaws. These machines re uire a large amount of floor space due to t e fact that the pressing jaws are disposed flat and.

horizontal rather than in a vertical plane as in the present invention; and so it follows, for pressing garments pinned to a form prior to pressing, that an upright press with ver tically disposed jaws is more economical of floor space and provides cooler and more favorable working conditions than machines now in use.

In operation, after the lower tray is unloaded and reloaded as to the work being pressed, the operator simply draws downwardly on the cable 27 or lifts upwardly on the lower tray.- Since the two garment or work trays counterbalance each other, the

operator experiences no'trouble in running one tray up and the other down.

lVhat I claim is 1. garment pressing machine comprismg in combination, cooperating pressing jaws, conveyer trays adapted to move in and out of the jaws, means supporting the trays parallel to the jaws when said trays are disposed between the jaws, and means for tilting the trays out of normal parallel position when out of said jaws in order that-said trays be positioned to conveniently receive the work.

2. A garment pressing machine comprising in combination, cooperating pressing jaws, conveyer trays adapted to move in and out of the jaws, means supporting the trays parallel to the jaws when said trays are disposed between the jaws, and a guide track upon which the trays travel when they come out of the. jaws and said guide track being adapted to swing the trays into a position convenient to receive the work.

3. A garment pressing machine comprising in combination, cooperating pressing jaws, conveyer trays adapted to move in and out of the jaws, a cable arranged to support the trays and carry them into and out of the pressing jaws, and means cooperating with the trays for swinging said trays outwardly from the'plane of the jaws to position sald trays for receiving the work.

4. A pressing mach ne comprising in combination, a long upright vertical frame, pressing jaws. mounted at the upper end thereof, means for opening and closing the jaws, a tray conveyer adapted to receive thework, tray supporting means located on the lower part of the frame to hold the tray during the loading and unloading of work on and off thereof, and means for hauling the tray up to the jaws and back down to the tray supporting means.

5. A pressing machine comprising in combination, a long upright vertical frame, pressing jaws mounted at the upper end thereof, means for opening and closing the jaws, a tray conveyer adapted to-receive the work, tray supporting means located on the lower part of the frame to hold the tray during the loading and unloading of work on and off thereof, and a cable to which the tray is attached for hauling the tray up to and down from the pressing jaws.

6. A pressing machine comprising in combination, a long upright vertical frame,

pressing aws mounted at the upper end thereof, means for opening and closing the jaws, a double trayconveyer adapted to re-- ceive the work, tray supporting means located on the lower part of the frame to hold the trays during the loading and unloading of work on and off thereof, means for hauling the trays up to the jaws and-back down to the tray supporting means, and means guiding the cable causing the trays to pass each other during the up and down travel to and from the jaws.

7. A garment pressing machine comprising in combination, a frame standing vertically, cooperating press jaws mounted on the upper end thereof high above the operator, a vertically mounted lever adapted to swing the jaws open and closed, operating means for working the lever, and carrier means for conveying work up and down' into and out of the jaws. I 8. A garment pressing machine comprising in combination, a frame standing vertically, cooperating press jaws mounted on the upper end thereof high above theoper'at-or, a ertically mounted lever adapted to swing the jaws open and closed, operating means for working the lever, a pair of vertically rimning cables, guide and support rollers holding the cables at each end of the aws to permit the jaws to open and close without interfering with the cables, and a work support attached to the cable and adapted to jaws to permit the jaws-to open and close without interfering with the cables, a work support attached to the cable and adapted to move substantially vertically upwardly.

to the jaws to convey the work from the operator below to the pressing jaws above, and

a guide and support track located below the ator, a vertically mounted lever adapted 'to swingthe jaws open and closed, operating means for working the lever, a pair of vertically running cables, guide and support rollers holding the cables at each end of the jaws. to permit the jaws to open and close without interfering with the cables, and a pair of work receiving trays attachedto the cables in spaced relation and so arranged that one tray is in the press jaws when the other is adjacent the operator. a 11. A garment pressing machine comprising in combination, a frame standing vertically, cooperating. press jaws mounted on the upper end thereof high above the operator, a vertically mounted lever adapted to swing the jaws open and closed, operating means for working the lever, a pair of vertijaws adapted to pivot the trays away from the member at the end ofthe tray movement from the jaws. j 14. A pressing machine comprising in combinatiomia pedestal, a frame rising 'vertically therefrom, a goose neck forming the upper end of the frame and curving-downwardly, a fixed pressing member anchored to the lower end of the gooseneckya vert cally disposed press lever pivotally mounted on the vertical frame, apressing member anchored to the upper end of the pressinglever, the aforesaid pressing members being disposed in a substantially vertical plane, means for actuating the pressing lever, and conveyer means for carrying work up into the pressing members and away therefrom.

15. A pressing machine comprising in combination, a pedestal adapted to rest on the floor and require minimum space, a vertical frame rising from the pedestal, a pair of pressing members mounted on the upper end, of the frame with their pressing .surfaces disposed substantially upright, one of the pressing members being fixed while the other is adapted to move back and forth against said fixed member, a vertiealpress cally running cables, guide and Support rolldeverpivoted on the vertical frame, a pedal ers holding the cables at each end of the jaws to permit the jaws to open and close without interfering with the cables, a pair of work receiving trays attached to the ca bles in spaced relation and so arranged that one tray is in the press jaws when the other is adjacent the operator, a swinging pivot connection made between the trays and ca ble, and a guide track mounted on the lower 7 end of the frame and down upon'which the trays periodically move and swim outwardly into alateral position-convenient to the operator. v

12. A garment pressing machine com prising in combination, a frame, cooperating pressing jaws carried thereon, means for opening and closing the pressi g jaws, parallel running members dispose to each side of the press jaws, a tray pivotally carried on the running member and adapted to rest in contact with said member when moved into the jaws and adapted (to swing away from. said member when moved "out of said jaws.

- 13.v A garment pressing machine comprising in combination, .a frame, cooperating pressing jaws carried thereon, means for opening and closing the pressing jaws, parallel running members disposed to each side of the press jaws a number of work receiving trays pivotallly attached at spaced intervals to the running member, guide means pivotally attached'to the lower end of the vertical press lever, a toggle link pivotally attached to the pedal and pivotally connectedwith the pedestal, and a kick off pedal arranged to throw the first named pedal upwardly and open the press members.

16. A press comprising a tall frame, jaws at the upper end thereof above an operators head, means to open and close the jaws, and

means to convey work to and from the jaws. u

17. A press comprising an upright frame, cooperating pressing jaws mounted on top of the frame high above the operator, conveyer means adapted to move up and down from a position in front of the operator to a position between the jaws, and /means for opening and closingthe press jaws. I

18. A press comprising cooperating pressing jaws having their pressing faces in a substantially upright position, a pair of upright conveyer trays, means to move said trays past each other in opposite directions in and out of the jaws, means supporting each tray parallel to the jaws when said tray is between the jaws, an upright frame supporting the jaws above the operator, and

'stantially vertical, operating means to open and close the press jaws, and means to convey work to a position between and from the aws.

20. A press comprising a long upright frame, pressing jaws mounted at the upper end thereof above the operator, operating means for opening and closing the press, and a double tray conveyer adapted to receive the work and carry it to a position between and from the jaws.

21. A press comprising a long upright vertical frame, pressing jaws mounted in a substantiall upright position at the upper end thereo above the operator, operating means for opening and closing the press jaws, a double tray conveyer adapted to receive the work, tray supporting cables, and rollers adapted to carry and guide the cables causing the trays to pass each other during the up and down travel to a position between and from the jaws.

22. A press comprising cooperating upright jaws with their pressing surfaces disposed substantially upright, a vertical press frame supporting the jaws high above the operator, operating means for opening and closing the jaws, a work conveyer to carry the work to a position between and from the jaws, and garment holding means carried by each conveyer.

23. A pressing machine comprising a tall vertical frame, cooperating press jaws mounted on top of the frame above an operator, said jaws having pressing faces disposed at an angle to the vertical, operating means for opening and closing the jaws, and a work convyer movably carried on the frame parallel to the plane of the press jaws and positioned to carry work into. the jaws. 24. A press comprising a verticalframe reaching above an operator, upright press jaws carried on the upper end of the frame and whose meeting faces are disposed substantially vertical, operating means to open and close the pressjaws including a vertical lever pivoted on the frame and connected at its upper end to one jaw and a toggle and pedal connected to its lower end, a work conveyer to, carry work from the operator up to and within the press jaws and back again,

and traveling means carrying the conveyer up and down as aforesaid.

In testimony whereof affix my signature.

4 JAMES CAMROD LEDBETTER. 

